Fuel pump replacement write up ?
#5
My 1999 has an idle pressure of 32. I still haven''t gotten around to kinking the regulator return line to see(I kind of don''t want to). ...But your problem could be the fuel pressure regulator instead of the pump. Also, with mine, it has no reserve pressure after the motor is shut off. It''s supposed to have a reserve pressure minimum of 8 psi after 5 minutes. You and I should both check our fuel pressure regulators. As far as I know, most have a rubber diaphragm, though it could be metal. Either way, if it leaks, pressure will go down, or if the control orfice gets clogged, pressure will also go down (other possibilitiesrusted spring, etc.). All would also lead to no reserve pressure.
#6
...So I replaced my fuel pressure regulator/filter. What a difference! The engine is easy to start, runs more smoothly (the car is no longer a rattling annoyance at driving speeds), and has more power. It even gets hotter faster! My fuel pressure is now at about 50 psi, and there is residual pressure, though I don''t know what it is. I''ve been using an R12 airconditioning pressure gauge (much like a tire gauge) because I do not have the extra money to spend on a fuel pressure gauge. They don''t even have a gauge specific for my car at Autozone, so I''d be spending $50 for some generic gauge. At any rate, there isn''t enough volume to the residual pressure to actuate the gauge, but I know that there''s a lot there. I press the Schrader valve, and fuel spurts out. There was lots of black crap in the old fuel filter. Also, prior to buying the new filter/regulator, I tried pinching the lines, but wasn''t too successful because of the lack of space and lack of a good tool. They are easily pinchable, though. I do believe that outer line on the back side of the regulator/filter is the return line, though I could be wrong. Those two were hard to get at for me. Perhaps a needle nose vice grip would work. Definitely don''t apply too much pressure, though, because you''ll damage the lines. A vice grip came in handy for me because it would hold its position while I went up front to check pressure. However, the lines I crimped didn''t make a difference in pressure, and I don''t think that I crimped them adequately to make a difference. It''s worth a try if you don''t want to indiscriminantly buy a fuel filter/regulator, as they are expensive. I got mine off of eBay for only about $40, but they usually sell in the stores for $70 to $100, and Autozone won''t even sell them. Their computer says that it''s an item that doesn''t normally need replacement during the life of the vehicle. Anyway, look into it. It''s a lot easier to replace than the fuel pump, and is more likely your problem. I''m not sure about your car, but for the 1999, you must remove the inner bolt of the radius rod (driver''s side) from the frame. This is because a support for the parking brake cable is connected to this bolt, and the parking brake cable gets in the way of the two screws which fasten the filter bracket to the frame. Once you have the cable out of the way, remove the two screws and then go about disconnecting the filter lines. You might also want to disconnect and reposition the evap. line to get it out of the way. It would be a good idea to coat the bolts with anti-seize compound. Mine were really rusty.
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